Rose War
by tiffywiffyfluffykitty
Summary: The battle for one man as a rose discovers her true feelings for him.


**Rose War**

"So, is it true you and Lisanna are going to duke it out over Natsu?" Cana asked, sliding into the seat next to Lucy.

Lucy shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Pssh, you can't fake it. The entire guild saw you and Lisanna declare war to each other."

"She declared war. I did nothing," Lucy corrected.

"But you're still gonna fight, right?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if I like Natsu that way."

Cana shrugged. "Well, you better make up your mind soon for the sake of your pride and your man."

"Natsu's not my man!"

"But do you _want_ him to be Lisanna's?"

It was a direct question and Lucy knew she couldn't get out of it. "No. Not really.

Cana took a drink from her barrel. "I rest my case."

* * *

"Why did you declare war on Lucy, Lisanna?" Mira asked disapprovingly.

"Because I want Natsu to be mine, but I want to do it fairly." Lisanna munched a cookie as she spoke.

"Lisanna, you don't even know if Lucy likes Natsu."

"She does. She just doesn't know it yet." She took a drink from her glass of milk and stood. "We'll see how it turns out."

* * *

Natsu sat with Gray at the fishing pond where he, Happy, and Lucy fished. "I don't know what to do. I don't want them to fight over me but I can't stop them."

"How do you know you can't stop them?" Gray leaned back and stared at the sky as he spoke.

"I tried with Lisanna."

"What about Lucy?"

Natsu groaned. "I haven't been able to talk to her ever since yesterday."

There was silence. "Who do you like more?" Gray asked.

He hesitated, spoke, and Gray's eyes widened with astonishment.

* * *

Lucy and Lisanna sat together, watching Gajeel sing "Shoo-be-do-bop" as people threw tomatoes onto the stage. Natsu was roaring with laughter at the other dragon slayer, prompting Gajeel to launch himself at him with an iron pillar of an arm.

"Why would you want to fight?" Lucy asked softly.

"Some things are worth fighting for," Lisanna replied, just as softly.

"But are you really that desperate? I'm sure Natsu would go out with you if you asked."

"You'll understand why I want to fight if you look deep inside yourself and believe me, you'll want to fight hard too." Lisanna stood and left with the parting words, "If I were you, I'd do a soul-search right now. No hard feelings though."

* * *

"I don't understand what Lisanna meant," Lucy said, frustrated.

Erza munched meditatively on her cake. "I may have an idea of what she means, but in the meantime, you should focus on training."

"I have," Lucy said. "Capricorn has been teaching me how to extend my magical power and Loke and I have been working together."

"That's good. Unfortunately, I cannot help you so do your best."

"Thanks, Erza," Lucy grinned.

* * *

Lisanna transformed out of her Tigress form and sighed. She was training with Mirajane and Elfman for her battle with Lucy. She turned and saw Natsu watching her quietly.

"Hi Natsu!" she said happily. "Here to cheer me on?"

He shook his head and walked over to her. "Call off the war," he said. "Lucy doesn't need this. I don't need this."

"No," she replied, frowning. "You should understand; Lucy does need this."

"How come? What do you know that you're not telling me or Lucy?" he demanded. "And the rest of the guild isn't telling me either."

"Natsu…" She looked at him with exasperated affection. "Some things aren't meant to be said until the time is right."

* * *

Lucy and Lisanna stood as Max shouted into the microphone, "And now for the long-awaited battle in the war between two of Fairy Tail's most beautiful roses: I give you Lucy and Lisanna!"

Cana began the bets. Natsu was not allowed to bet and he pouted next to Happy, who also didn't bet upon the conflicting feelings between his "mother" and his close friend.

After twenty minutes, everyone had their betting slips in their hands. Makarov raised his hand as a signal and Lisanna transformed into her Tigress form.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden!" Lucy called. "Virgo!"

"Punishment, Princess?"

"No. Just attack." Lucy took out her Fleuve d'étoiles and it extended into a shining whip. It wrapped around Lisanna's ankle and threw her into the air.

In retaliation, Lisanna turned into a giant penguin and hurtled down on Lucy, who was saved by Virgo. Lisanna fell into a large crater dug in the ground that was more width than depth.

"Tch," Lisanna said and transformed back to her human form as Virgo went back to the Spirit Realm. "So, Lucy, do you know why you have to fight?"

Lucy shook her head. "I still don't know. I don't know why you have to fight either."

"I told you already that some things are worth fighting for."

"But why me?" Lucy asked, frustrated. "Is it because you're picking on me or something? If you want Natsu, then ok!"

Lisanna sighed. "I'm definitely not picking on you, and there is a reason why I want you to fight. You know it too."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Lucy yelled.

"That's why I told you to look inside yourself and find the reason why!" Lisanna shouted back ."You're so dense, Lucy. Don't you see it anymore? I did, and so did everyone else but you. That's why I wanted to fight, so that you can realize it!"

Lucy stared at her, openmouthed, as did everyone else but Mira, Elfman, Gajeel, Wendy. Erza, and Gray, who smiled understandingly. "I still don't get it."

Lisanna groaned and looked up into the skies. "Holy Mavis, do I have to spell out everything for you?" She strode up to her. "You. Are. In. Love. With. Natsu."

Silence.

"WHAAAAAAT?" Lucy shrieked, causing everyone in the vicinity to cover their ears. She blushed hotly. "No! I don't! I don't love—" She was stopped as Lisanna slapped her.

"Stop denying yourself," she snapped. "You know it's true."

Lucy shook her head numbly and Lisanna, out of pure frustration, changed back to her Tigress form and tried to claw her. She was stopped by Natsu, who laid a hand on her shoulder. "Lisanna, that's enough," he said quietly and his eyes revealed his sorrow. "It's ok if she doesn't feel the same way about me."

Everyone gaped at him, especially Lucy. "You like me?" she squeaked.

He turned away. "It doesn't matter anymore…" He walked away, shoulders slumped and they all watched him with sympathetic eyes.

Lucy stood with her eyes shining with tears and her hands over her mouth. "I never knew," she whispered.

"He didn't want to tell you because he was scared you won't feel the same way." Lisanna shook her head. "But I knew you did like him and I wanted to help him."

"But… you don't want him for yourself?" Lucy asked.

"No. I think of him like a brother, even. The entire point of this was to get you to realize your feelings for him."

"But why a war?"

Lisanna thought. "If we tell you outright, you'll deny it and forget about it. If we make you look deep in yourself, it's better and harder to reject the idea." She shrugged. "Well, that's my theory."

Lucy blushed. "I still don't know if I like Natsu that way."

"Don't take too long," Lisanna advised. "The longer it takes, the more depressed he'll be."

Lucy nodded and gave Lisanna a hug. "Thank you."

She laughed. "No problem. Good luck," she added as Lucy raced away.

* * *

Natsu sat in the shadow of the tree by the pond. The last time he was here, he and Gray were talking about the battle and he had confessed to liking Lucy.

"I'm so stupid," he muttered. He had been so convinced that Lucy might, just _might_ feel the same way, even a little bit. But he was wrong and now he felt so humiliated and rejected.

He still remembered when he decided that he liked Lucy. It was right under this tree by this very pond. He had been sleeping and he dreamed about Lucy. She was lying down next to him as they stared up into the sky. They were laughing and having fun, and Natsu had reached up to stroke her face with a gentle hand and he had leaned in, tilting her head with his hand under her jawbone and he ki-

Flames flickered on his hand as he punched the tree, making the branches shake violently. "No. No more," he gasped out, the tears finally coming out and he staggered up and stumbled away from the pond.

* * *

Lucy jogged to the pond and saw no one. She sighed disappointingly and sat under a tree she knew Natsu liked to nap under a lot. Turning her eyes to the darkening sky, she began to think.

"What would it be like if I was with Natsu?" she mused out loud. She sighed as she thought of all the fights that would ensue, but suddenly a memory popped into her head.

_T__he stars fell around her and she hurtled toward the ground at an alarming rate. Suddenly, she felt arms wrap around her and she tumbled on the dirt, coming to rest on a pile of rubble. Natsu grinned up at her from beneath her as she sat on him and she blushed._

"He's so reckless, even when he's rescuing me," she said, smiling.

"_Yo, Luce!" he said. Doing pushups on her carpet._

"_What are you doing?!" she shrieked._

"_Working out. Here," he held out a pink dumbbell. "You like pink right?_"

He has his quirks…"

_She came out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel, sighing with contentment. She found Natsu staring at her with pink cheeks and she screamed and kicked him out the window._

"He's a pervert."

_The Rainbow Sakura floated down the river in a gigantic tub. Beautiful petals floated past her face as she leaned on the windowsill. A petal the color of Natsu's hair floated right in front of her face and she smiled, knowing it was he who did this._

"But he can be so sweet."

She sighed and leaned back to the tree. "But I don't know if I love him." She looked across the pond and saw a pink rose standing along amongst a bunch of yellow and white. She stood and slowly walked to the roses and bent to cup the pink flower in her hands.

"Tell me, do I love him?"

There was no answer and she sighed again and looked up into the sky. She saw the Milky Way and a scattering of stars. A shooting star streaked across the sky.

Lucy closed her eyes and whispered, "I wish I know if I love Natsu."

There was no sense of epiphany, no message from the heavens and she sighed and leaned back, closed her eyes, and slept.

* * *

_He was standing in front of her, not speaking, not smiling, just looking at her with those sad, sad eyes._ "_Natsu," she whispered sadly. "I'm sorry."_ _He still didn't say sorry and she, with her heart aching, leaned up on her tiptoes and gently kissed him._

Lucy opened her eyes. It was still nighttime, but from the glow in the east, dawn was soon approaching. A shape moved next to her and she gasped loudly, but a hand closed over her mouth.

Natsu sat next to her, watching her with impassive eyes. "I saw you sleeping. You shouldn't be out here all alone," he said flatly without emotion.

She flinched at his tone and he removed his hand as if he couldn't bear to touch her. "Come on, let's get you home."

They walked through the quiet streets in silence. Along the way, Lucy thought about the dream she had. Had she really kissed Natsu? Not the other way around?

She looked at his rigid back as he strode in front of her and wondered again what would it be like if they were lovers. It would be nice, she idly thought, to have someone protect you with his life and rescue you whenever you're hurt. It's like Prince Charming in Mama's stories.

Could Natsu be my Prince Charming?

The more Lucy thought about it, the more likely it seems. Natsu was loyal, a strong fighter, charismatic, and deeply caring. He always saved her and comforted her when she was sad. Most of the happy memories she shared was with him. They got together naturally and they just seemed to _click_.

They stopped in front of her apartment.

"See you later," Natsu said and left without looking at her.

"Wait," she said, but he didn't stop. "Wait!"

He stopped as she ran to him and hugged him from behind. "Don't go," she whispered.

"Why?" he asked. "You don't even love me."

She shook her head. "No."

"Stop it, I heard you say it."

"I do love you…"

"Stop lying." He tried to wrench himself from her grip but she stubbornly refused to let go.

"I'm not lying…" With alarm, Natsu felt something wet touch his back through his jacket.

"Ah… Lucy?!" he said with alarm and, with difficulty, turned around to find her crying. "What's wrong?"

"You don't believe me when I said I do love you…"

"Why did you say you didn't love me at first?"

"Because I still didn't know I did!" she wailed and cried again.

Natsu, not knowing what to do, decided to bring her inside when he saw that she wasn't letting up on the waterworks. They sat on her bed and Natsu held her as she cried until the sun was halfway up and Lucy had finish crying. "So does this mean you love me?" he asked, a spark of hope building within him.

Lucy was quiet. "Yes. I love you, Natsu."

He crushed her to him for a hug. "I love you too." He kissed the top of her head and she snuggled into his side.

They sat together in silence until Lucy yawned. "I want to sleep." She stood and disappeared into her bathroom to change into her pajamas. Natsu tucked her in and crawled in after her, drawing the curtains on her window to block out the light.

"Good morning, Natsu," Lucy said dreamily, already drifting off.

"Morning, Luce," he yawned, snoring in seconds.

* * *

**This might be a little... messy or something, but I hope you like it :) I won't be updating or anything for a few days, so I'm really sorry about that ;w; Review please! :3**


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